NEW CITY, NEW PERSPECTIVE

After the wake-up call of moving to a much greener city, Berlin, I realized I have a lot of catching up to do. Now, I’m not saying I was the worst person I know when it comes to being eco-friendly, but I knew I could improve, and the first way I decided to tackle this was with how I get around. After deleting my Uber app, I felt lost. No, seriously, I was lost. I did not know the city well at all, so I had to get out there and explore. I moved there in the fall, so the weather was one of my biggest hang-ups about heading out. It seemed that whenever I put on a jacket, the sun would beat down on me, but when I went without one, I would get soaked in sudden rain showers. So, I hid indoors. 

I’m just kidding. I invested in a GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY™ jacket.

NAVIGATING OTHER OPTIONS

I called a friend of mine who’s got the whole going green thing down to a fine art. He told me to rent a bike, and I laughed for five minutes before realizing he wasn’t joking. Hopping on a bike felt a bit out of my comfort zone at first, but once I realized how easy it was to get around, I started to understand the appeal. With my SHAKEDRY™ jacket, I couldn't even feel the windchill (one of the things that have put me off cycling in the past), and it was oddly enjoyable seeing the sights and parks as I whizzed around.

Next challenge: walking to work. This is a super easy way to stay fit, but one I usually find an excuse to avoid. The morning was a bit gray-looking, but I thought I could chance it. About 15 minutes from my office door, the sky turned gray on me, and I found myself walking in the rain. True to its word, my jacket didn’t let me down. And even though I was hustling to get inside, I didn’t get sweaty either. 

GREENER WAYS TO GET AROUND THE CITY, AT LEAST FOR MYSELF

Both of these experiences taught me that there are so many more eco-friendly ways to get about town than I had explored in the past. I have friends who cycle, jog or skateboard to get around. There are still times I can’t get myself out of the house on time, but hopping on a bike is much more of an option now that I’ve got my SHAKEDRY™ jacket to keep me going. And the GORE-TEX brand prides itself on lasting longer, so you don’t have to replace your gear every year––which is an automatic environmental benefit.

If you want to learn more on how the GORE-TEX brand promotes sustainability, check this out.